Foundation garment



1945 H. J. DUBNER'I 2,381,442

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Jan. 19, 1944 VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNDATION GARMENT Harry Jay Dubner, Forest Hills, N. Y. Application January 19, 1944, Serial No. 518,844 3 Claims. (on. 2-43) This invention reiates to foundationgarments of the type provided with a crotch portion.

Many women prefer that their foundation garments shall be provided with a crotch portion to assure proper support and holding of the torso throughout; others prefer a foundation garment having a panty-like portion in order to consti-' Therefore the invention is shown in a girdle, but

without being limited thereto.

In the instances mentioned, extreme discomfort is caused when the wearer sits or bends down, because excessive tension is created at the crotch portion. It is well known that the binding on the delicate tissues often results in considerable distress. Certain foundation garments have been provided with a back horizontally split along the waist line but these have only a relatively insignificant effect in avoiding binding at the crotch; in fact, these garments are made as a rule without a crotch portion, and they will relieve binding at the back and at the shoulder straps. The problem of relieving binding at the crotch cannot be solved by making the crotch portion of elastic material. Only where the entire girdle as well as the crotch portion are made of an open mesh elastic, is binding at the crotch relieved, but such elastic has insufficient strength to strongly embrace and confine the body of the wearer.

I have perceived that the binding at the'crotchportion occurs due to the elongation of the rear curved line of the buttocks when the wearer is seated, and hence cannot be relieved by a back wall which is split at the waist line. I noted that the buttocks afford a powerful frictional restraining action on the garment resisting slippage of the garment which thus becomes virtually anchored at the buttocks. But this very thing appeared to offer an insuperable obstacle to relief at the crotch. If the back of the garment were split at the buttocks. so as to afiord expansion for relief at the crotch, then the back portions at the split would not be able to slide back to initial position when the wearer stood up; these portions, whether they overlapped each other or not, wouldstay in expanded position and would wrinkle up, show through the outer garment and cause discomfort at the buttocks.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a foundation garment having improved means for relieving binding at the crotch and for assuring that the garment shall expand and contract Without restraint by the bulging tissues of the body.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means-for relieving binding at the crotch and for limiting expansion of the back wall of a foundation garment in a vertical direction to suitably hold in the buttocks, the expansion being caused primarily by the buttocks to afford relief at the crotch.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a foundation garment having improved'overlapping rear wall portions afiording an opening for expansion to relieve binding at the crotch, the opening being elongated in the manner of a passage, the horizontal and vertical dimensions of which are so related to each other as to accomplish the several functions herein set forth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foundation garment comprising aback wall including a crotch portion and an expansion opening in alinement therewith of a length less than the width of said wall and greater than the width of the crotch portion to afford limited vertical expansion resisted by a horizontal stress, preferably with the-aid of horizontally acting elastic, the horizontal stress being distributed over a substantial portion of the elastic, and horizontal expansion of the wearers body in seated position increasing the elastic stress so that the garment has a proper restraining action on the body of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved simplified structure that is inexpen sive to make.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willdbecome apparent as the specification procee s.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the sub: joined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

sitting position.

drawing:

a view in rear elevation, drawn to scale, showing a girdle embodying the invene being in flat condition. sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 view similar to that of Fig. 'l-but showing the shape of the girdle as worn by a person in standing position.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic rear view of the girdle showing the shape thereof as worn by a person in is a sectional view taken on line I'I P18. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 1.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and produced embodying less than the whole. 7 It will be obviousto those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is

submitted merely as showing the preferred exempliflcation of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, H denotes a foundation garment such as a girdle embodying the invention. The same may be constructed of as capable of expansion and contraction. when expansion occurs, the slit :2 opens up as shown, in which case the numeral may be regarded as indicating the upper edge of the slit, and the wall portion 22 may be regarded as a continuation of the bottom portion of the back wall. Although various structural details have been mentioned, it will be appreciated that these can be varied, the object being to provide a suitable overlapped expansible contractile wall portion.

The overlapped wall portions 22, 2' lie at the region of the buttocks. With a woman whose height is about flve feet two inches, the buttocks begin at about six inches below the waist line as indicated at 26, and attain their maximum bulk at about nine inches below the waist line as indicated at 21. It is thus seen that the overlapp wall portions preferably lie where the bulk of the buttocks is a maximum-and in the same structure, but, useful devices may be 20 elastic or inelastic material for tightly embracing the body of the wearer. Preferably it includes a rear wall l2, a front .wall It and side walls I 4, the walls I2, I 3 being made of inelastic material, and the side walls I being made of horizontally elastic .fabric of any suitable kind. These walls may be continuously interconnected, but, if desired, the upper part of the front wall may have a vertical slide fastener closure (not shown) to facilitate the donning of the garment. 4 The top edge lb of the girdle lies at or near the waist line, and from there,

the garment may increase in size downwardly, extending sufllcient- 1y far to completely enclose the buttocks, and, if preferred, the upper portions of the thighs. At its lower edge IS, a cut out I! is formed in the front and rear walls, preferably somewhat larger in the rear than in the front wall. Secured to the edges of the cut out is a crotch member l8 of a soft, limp material, which is preferably non elastic. In the flattened condition of the garment in Fig. 1, this member l8 hangs down be-. low the lower edge I8, but when the garment is worn, as in Fig. 3 the crotch member is filled out and hence assumes the position therein indicated. So far, the described structure is conventional. s r

At the region of the buttocks, the rear wall- I: is slit to produce an opening 20, which may be finished to prevent raveling of the fabric. This opening at 20 is covered by stitching a piece 22 at 23 below the slit and at 24 at each side of the piece 22. But the latter is not stitched at its.

overlapping its companion fact the point 21 is about central in elevation relative to these portions. These overlapped portions have been brought as close as possible to the crotch portion, only enough material intervening to permit seaming of the elements l8 and 22.

It is to be noted that the horizontal length of the opening I! is substantially greater than the width of the crotch portion and substantially less than the width of the back wall l2. In the woman of average torso of the height mentioned, the horizontal length-of the opening [9 may be as much as eight inches and as little as flve inches. The preferred length is about seven inches.

The overlapped portions are spaced substam tially from the side walls I 4 and their opening is in alinement with the crotch portion. The vertical length of the overlapped area as in Fig. 1 may be about three inches, which is preferably a minimum but may be as much as five inches.

There is an important relation between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the overlapped area. In general, the greater the horizontal dimension, the greater must be the vertical dimension. The reason for this is that the greater the horizontal dimension the more the opportunity for vertical expansion; by increasing the vertical dimension, the opportunity for expansion is diminished.

The garment may be further understod by considering its precise action when worn. In Fig. 3, the garment is shown when worn by a person who is standing. In that case, there is some expansion due to relative movement between the overlapping. wall portions 22, 25, as shown by the curved lines. If complete flatness is desiredat the buttocks, this expansion is undesirable, but if a form fit is preferred, the buttocks should show some curvature, and in that case, this expansion is preferable. This expansion is controlled in the manner already indicated, by the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the opening or passage iii. The elastics It also play a part; as shown they become stretched at the buttocks and increase the horizontal tension on the overlapped wall portions 22, 25, thus tending to resist expansion. The stresses that result are indicated by the arrows 28, 29, 30, causing a distribution of the stresses throughout a substantial portion of the elastic, whereby the latter can more effectively resist undue expansion of the opening l9.

When the wearer sits down, the garment assumes the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Now

the expansion is about double that of Fig. 3, and may be more, thus relieving binding at the crotch portion. The portions ll 'of the rear wall l2 are continuous past the wall portions 22, 25 and hence fully resist vertical expansion to confine parts of the buttocks as their curvature lengthens.

Expansion, however, occurs laterally in the usual manner by horizontal stretching of the side walls It as shown, thereby increasing the horizontal tension on the wall portions 22, 25, tending to avoid undue expansion of the opening l9 and assuring proper restraint of the buttocks and causing the crotch portion to snugly engage the wearer. Ample horizontal tension is assured by distribution of the stresses as indicated by the arrows 28, 2!, 30. The described action has the further advantage that the buttocks do not tend to slip out of the girdle, as heretofore, so that when the wearer stood up, the buttocks tended to push the girdle upward, out of place.

7 An essential characteristic is that with the teaching herei'n disclosed for the opening l9, the overlapping wall portions 22, 25 slide back to initial position which may be like that of Fig. 3, or like that 'of. Fig. l for slender girls. This return to initial position is due in vpart to the fact that the horizontal length of the opening I! is less than the width of the back wall l2,

and in part to the depth of the opening is, re-

sulting in deformations which tend to right themselves, under the stresses created, and

against the substantial resistance of the buttocks. Thus it is seen that the invention avoids binding at the crotch, especially in sitting position, andthe structure avoids wrinkling, and is automatic, reliable and smooth in its action, and sufficiently flat and compact and located at a region sufliciently low so as to aflord the results desired without showing any marks or irregularities through the dress of the wearer.

It is important to note that the expansion is not caused by crotch tension but rather by tension at the buttocks, whereby the crotch tension is always low and merely assisting the ex-v pansion. In fact the structure of the garment is such that the buttocks are fully restrained at their outer sides and rear, excepting only at a central region at the rear, at which a limited supporting expansion of the garment is permitted, above and lateral to the crotch member.

I claim:

1. A foundation garment having a wall adapted to continuously embrace the body of the wearer, a crotch member connected to said wall, the back of the garment having a horizontal slot in said wall immediately above the crotch member. a flexible sheet member at the buttocks connected along its bottom edge to said wall at the bottom edge of the slot, the flexible member extending above the slot and being connected to the wall by generally vertical lines of connection located at the ends of the slot whereby the flexible member overlaps said wall, said wall being vertically expansible to a substantial degree at-the slot to relieve tension on the crotch member in the sittin position of the wearer, and the verticallines of connection being suificient in length to cause the flexible member to limit the said expansion, the slot being 'wider than the crotch member but being substantially shorter than the width of the back of the garment as toprovide vertically continuous sections at the back of the garment lateral to the slot for restraining adjacent parts of the buttocks and for producing tension such as to cause the overlapping portions of the garment to slip on each other to substantially reduce and extending upward therefrom, the overlapping member being connected to the back wall along generally vertical lines of substantial length at the ends of the slot, the overlapping member being otherwise free of the back wall so that when the wearer sits down, the buttocks engaged with the back wall below the slot cause expansion thereof and downward sliding movement of the overlapping member along the back wall to thus relieve tension on the crotch member, the slot being substantially wider than the latter and being substantially less in width than the back wall so that the overlapping member in 00- operation with the vertical connections causes tension sufiicient to resist the friction between the back wall and the overlapping member for returning the latter to initial position when the wearer stands up.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the length of the horizontal slot is not less than five inches nor more than eight'inches, and the length of the vertical connections is not less than about three inches nor more than about five inches, these dimensions varying with the height of the wearer, and the dimension of the slot varying with the dimension of the said connec-' tions.

HARRY JAY DUBNER. 

